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View all stencils →About this stencil
A chunky rocket blasts diagonally upward with a flickering flame bursting from its tail and three round dots floating alongside like distant planets. The rocket body, fins, flame, and dots are each cut fully through, and the gap between the ship and its flame creates a fun sense of motion. Cut the flame's wavy points carefully with short strokes, since those narrow tips are the most fragile part. This design is rated Beginner-friendly and takes most carvers around 30 minutes from trace to glow. Great for kids and first-timers. Big shapes, short cuts.
Pumpkin size guide
- 🎃 Small (5–7") — print at 80%
- 🎃 Medium (7–10") — print at 100% (recommended)
- 🎃 Large (11–13") — print at 130%
- 🎃 Giant (14"+) — print at 150% on tabloid paper
Frequently asked questions
Can I resize this stencil?▾
Yes. The PDF is vector so it scales cleanly. Print at 100% for a 7–10 inch pumpkin, 130% for 11–13 inch, or 150% for a giant. Use your printer's "Fit to page" or "Custom scale" setting.
What kind of paper works best?▾
Standard 20 lb letter or A4 printer paper is fine. Heavier paper is harder to bend around the pumpkin curve. If your printer supports it, set the quality to 'best' so the lines are crisp.
How long will the carved pumpkin last?▾
Usually 5–10 days. Coat all cut surfaces with petroleum jelly and store the pumpkin somewhere cool overnight. Avoid direct sun. Battery LED pumpkin lights produce no heat and double the lifespan.
Can I sell pumpkins carved with this stencil?▾
Yes, the carved pumpkin you make is yours. The license covers personal and small-scale commercial carving (selling carved pumpkins, photographing them, posting on social). You may not resell the PDF file itself.
What if my printer doesn't print the whole stencil?▾
Set 'Page scaling' to 'Fit' in the print dialog and uncheck 'Auto-rotate'. If it still cuts off, the design includes 0.25" of safe-area margin so a small crop won't ruin it.
How to carve this stencil
- 1Print it
Download the PDF and print at 100% scale on letter or A4 paper.
- 2Prep the pumpkin
Cut the lid at an angle, scoop the guts, thin the wall to ~1 inch.
- 3Tape it on
Snip darts in the paper so it lies flat against the curve.
- 4Transfer the design
Poke along every line — about one dot every 1/8 inch.
- 5Carve it
Connect the dots with short straight cuts. Center first, work outward.
- 6Light it up
Drop in a battery LED pumpkin light and you're done.
Tools you'll need
For a beginner-friendly carve like this you'll want a paring knife, spoon / scoop, marker, and led pumpkin light. Here's the kit we reach for — start with whatever you already own.
Elmchee Pumpkin Carving Kit
13-piece kit with carrying case
Saws for the larger cutouts, plus a scoop for hollowing. Covers both jobs in one kit.
View on Amazon ↗
HOME MOST LED Pumpkin Lights
4-pack, battery operated, with remote + timer
Orange glow made for jack-o'-lanterns. The remote and timer light the pumpkin every evening without reaching inside.
View on Amazon ↗
Speedball 4131 Lino Cutter Set
Handle + 5 interchangeable cutters
Interchangeable cutters for peeling and shading the face. Useful for the finer details.
View on Amazon ↗
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Beginner-friendlyRocket and Stars Pumpkin Stencil
A retro rocket ship blasting diagonally upward through a field of five-pointed stars fills this easy pumpkin stencil. The rocket body is a large solid pierce-through with a small circular porthole cut from its center, and two swept fins angle beneath it; six stars of varying sizes are scattered across the field. Lit from within, the rocket and stars all glow as bright cut-out shapes. Cut the small circular porthole in the rocket body before removing the rocket silhouette itself, since that circle is far easier to score cleanly while the surrounding wall has full support.
IntermediateThree Crescents and Six Dots
Three crescent moons of different sizes climb diagonally across the pumpkin, trailed by six small round dots like distant stars. Every crescent and dot is pierced fully through, giving a modern, almost tattoo-style celestial arrangement once the candle is lit. The medium rating comes from the crescents' thin inner horns, so drill or poke each dot first for practice, then cut the crescents starting at the fat middle and working out toward each narrow tip.
Beginner-friendlyCrescent and Four Stars
A thick crescent moon anchors the left side of the pumpkin while four five-pointed stars drift across the remaining space. All five elements are clean cut-through openings, so the pumpkin becomes a night-sky lantern with the untouched rind acting as the dark sky between them. It is an easy carve overall; the only care point is the star tips, so cut each star point-to-center in single strokes rather than trying to steer around the whole outline at once.
Beginner-friendlyCrescent and Three Stars
A large crescent moon curves down one side of the pumpkin while three five-point stars of different sizes float beside it. All four shapes are cut cleanly through the wall, turning the pumpkin into a glowing night sky that is simple enough for a first-time carver. Since this easy design relies on smooth curves, trace the crescent's inner arc slowly and pop each star out point by point rather than in one piece.
IntermediateLeaping Dolphin & Two Waves
A dolphin arcs joyfully above two rolling waves, its curved body, dorsal fin, flippers, and smiling beak all drawn in bright shaded lines. The design uses skin-shave shading only, so you scrape away the outer skin along the dolphin and wave shapes while the wall stays solid. At medium difficulty, work the long body curve in one smooth continuous pass before adding the wave lines, which keeps the leap looking fluid.
Beginner-friendlyBroad Five-Point Star
One broad five-point star fills the front of the pumpkin as a single dramatic cutout. The entire star is pierced through, leaving a clean rim of pumpkin around it, so a candle inside turns the whole shape into a lantern window. As an easy design it is ideal for beginners; draw a guide dot at each of the five points before cutting, then connect them with straight strokes so the star stays symmetrical.